Unexpected circumstances
by chellythemadhatter
Summary: Life does not work out the way you think it will.
1. Chapter 1

***Author's Note: Revisions! Revisions! I was never really happy with this BUT I you can't get better if you DON'T EVER WRITE! And what better way to do that than to tweak something you already wrote? Mostly just changes in format because *yeesh*, looking at paragraphs that are waaay too long can get tiring on the eyes.***

Helga released a deep sigh. Rubbing her face with the palms of her hands, she quickly shook her head to dispel the nagging thoughts from her mind. A gurgle sounded, and she stood up to check on her daughter. She was still sleeping in her crib, but Stella wasn't always a peaceful sleeper. Her baby girl was prone to fussing, especially around three a.m, not yet used to being completely alone. Helga lightly touched her daughter's cheek and drew her finger down to the tip of her chin. It was too late in the night for her to still be awake, and she knew she would pay for her restlessness throughout the day. But he was weighing too heavily on her mind tonight.

She would see his smiling face every time she closed her eyes; bright green emeralds would stare at her intensely, and she could feel the touch of his fingertips ghosting over her hand. Helga wanted to stop the memories of what she once had; the brief time she had with him had ended years ago. Yet, they had burned into her consciousness. She remembered everything they had been through together. Their first encounter, the bullying and angry words she directed at him and regretted saying immediately after, her confession atop the FTI tower, only for her to take back every single word and her heart dying in the process.

Throughout middle school and most of high school, she had effectively ignored his very existence. But on the first day of her Junior Year, she saw his face in her first period class. Then he appeared again in her third. By the end of her school day, he was in 4 of her 7 classes. Things were made even more complicated when their respective best friends began to date. There was just no escaping him that year.

And then there were the words that started everything all over again.

"My feelings for you have rekindled…"

Flabbergasted, she had wanted an explanation. He must have been stoned off his rocker to have ever looked at her anything more than his bully but she couldn't bring herself to question him. If she began to ask questions...what was to stop him from asking his own?

With his admission, a tentative relationship began to form. They weren't together, yet they weren't exactly friends either. They tried to be around one another a bit more often…maybe a casual date here and there before he officially asked her to be his girlfriend. But just as quickly as everything came together it soon fell apart.

He had called her at the end of the school day asking to see her. She quickly obliged, meeting him at the boarding house to find his Grandfather ordering movers around. "Be careful! That's an antique! Pookie! They aren't stealing anything, put the poor guy down!"

Arnold was moving; his parents had been found in San Lorenzo, captives of the river pirate La Sambra and he and his grandparents were selling everything to fly down to South America. She barely heard a word he said. She couldn't follow everything he was telling her but she understood one thing and one thing only: he was breaking up with her. The distance was too much, they couldn't make it work. And she found herself speaking the words that had been repeating in her mind; it began as a whisper and now was drowning out all coherent thought.

"All I want is you."

He had kissed her tenderly on the forehead before drawing her close to him. He mumbled something about keeping in touch, that they could still be friends. And before she knew it, he was gone.

She tried to avoid everything that reminded her of him at first. Anything Arnold related was taboo and her best friend never mentioned him when they were together. But Gerald had let it slip one day that Arnold was seeing a pretty girl in one of the local villages and she swore that her heart was breaking all over again. It hadn't even been a month before he had left Hillwood behind and he was already with someone else. After school that day, she had walked to the pier alone and sat on the edge of the dock watching the sunset. She made herself a promise: as much as she loved him, she would not wait on the sidelines while he lived his life. Helga resolved that she would find someone who loved her, someone who wouldn't leave her behind.

It wasn't long before she found that someone. At first, all she wanted from Michael was friendship. She knew him from a class they shared, and after casually mentioning the reason why she never drank, he had admitted that his father was both an alcoholic and drug addict. They had understood each other on a level that no one else ever had. He asked her out, and she had said no the first two times. But after remembering how quickly Arnold had moved on and the promise she had made to herself, she made up her mind to move forward and asked him out.

For several months, Michael and Helga were happy; they talked on the phone late at night, kissed each other shyly until their relationship blossomed into a mature intimacy. But after that first year, her heart began to send her flashes of _him_. She would dream that they would be sitting on the steps of school, just talking. He never touched her, she couldn't even make out what the conversation was about. It was as if they were just catching up, as if he were checking up on her. And she would wake, a sob caught in her throat while Michael slept peacefully beside her.

She tried to break up with him a few months later. She had _tried_. But she was not successful; Michael would talk about how he could change, how he could do better, that she just needed to have patience and that being in love was all new to him. She didn't have the heart to tell him that the real reason why she wanted to part ways was because she was still in love with someone else. When it came right down to it, the fear of being alone always won out in the end and she would find herself accepting his pleas. She did love Michael; you can't live with someone for years without having a deep connection and affection for that person. She understood his fears, his insecurities. They were similar in temperament and both had families that mistreated and ignored them. Michael had saved her life; if he hadn't come into her life when he did, she probably would have killed herself from the overwhelming loneliness she had felt. She owed him a great debt that she felt she never could repay.

The years continued to tick by, and one day she found herself accepting a marriage proposal. A few years later, their daughter was born. She hadn't told Michael the reason why she had named their daughter Stella. He hadn't asked. The way he looked at their daughter, as if she were the most precious thing in his life, swelled her heart. She was loved. She had built a family who she could pour her love into and see grow into something more than what she had ever experienced. Yet, Arnold was always on the fringes of her thoughts. She would see him in town from time to time; they would chat for a bit and then he would disappear from her life all over again, leaving her feeling guilty about imagining that they could have been happy together. She had accepted that Arnold was the love of her life and that was never going to fully recover her heart from that man.

And then the unthinkable happened. Michael had gotten a job as a mechanical engineer several years ago; he often worked late at night, leaving her to her own devices until he came home well after 9 p.m. Nothing changed after their daughter was born. If anything, he seemed more tired at the end of the day. Tiredness morphed into indifference, and eventually detachment. This was normal behavior for him, so she didn't think anything of it. He didn't manage his stress well, and often retreated into his man cave for several hours before he could even hold a conversation with her.

But one night he came home earlier than usual. His fingers were trembling, and he couldn't sit still for very long. He was rambling, his words coming out at 90 miles an hour. Michael was leaving her. His company had hired a new intern, someone he was to mentor and help grow within the industry. He had known this woman for more than a year and he kept repeating, "I was always faithful, I never broke our wedding vows". He loved this other woman; he loved her with such a passion that he couldn't fathom being without her. He was apologizing, saying how Helga could take everything, he didn't mind, that she deserved it. Yes, they were going to get a divorce, yes, he was going to move out and yes, he was going to grant full custody of their daughter to her.

"I don't want this to be an ugly thing, Helga. I loved you, I still love you. But what I feel for her, what I think I could have with her…try to understand, please. Don't hate me, I just…I can't help it. I know you deserve better than this, better than anything I could ever give you." And then he was gone. Like a puff of smoke, his presence dissipated leaving her feeling emptier than she had in years.

For months afterward, she experienced a whirlwind of emotions. She was angry that Michael had left her, and yet an overwhelming sadness would creep up on her. She felt like a failure, a person you cast aside when something better comes along. Yet she rationalized it, telling herself that Michael was a better person than she was because he had the decency to end their relationship when he knew that his heart no longer belonged to her. He had the guts to go after what he wanted, and even remained faithful to her despite his feelings for this other woman. She had settled, snatching up the first person who had shown her the slightest bit of interest and held on to him despite her heart telling her that it was wrong.

Helga released yet another sigh. She no longer cried when she thought about everything she gave up. She was still hurting, but she had a daughter that she wouldn't trade for anything in the world; Stella was her reason for waking up every morning. She would make sure that the child she carried for nine months, that stubborn bright eyed little girl, would know that her mommy loved her more than anything in the world. She was done with men. A new resolve set firmly in her mind, Helga finally dragged herself to her bed. She could still get a few hours of sleep in before her daughter crawled out of her bed and demanded attention.

A five year old Stella was pouting in the cereal aisle, stomping her little feet with each step.

"But I NEED that cereal, Mommy! It's my favorite!"

"And I told you, Stella. You already have two unopened boxes at home. So, no! I am not buying any more. Crimeny!"

The small girl continued to pout as they made their way through the grocery store, Helga stopping every dozen steps or so to grab something from the shelves and scratch an item off of her grocery list.

"Okay, little lady." She cringed internally at the nickname, conscious of the fact that that was what her father called her on occasion. "Stop pouting. You can pick something else that you would like as a treat. But you only get to pick one and it has to be under $5. Deal?" Helga extended her hand out for her daughter to shake. Stella cocked her hip to the side, her eyes rolled up to the ceiling in thought, before a grin broke out on her face.

"Okay! Deal!" She eagerly shook her mother's hand before running down to the end of the aisle to look for her newly desired treat.

"She's quite the negotiator, huh Helga?"

Helga froze at the sound of the voice coming from behind her. She slowly closed her eyes and swallowed the gasp that almost slipped past her lips.

"Yeah, she gets that from me. I was quite the master negotiator when we were kids."

"I hardly think threatening us with Ol' Betsy and the Five Avengers was proof of that. I'd say it was more so a clue into your desire for world domination."

"Technicalities. How ya doin', football head?"

"Good, great. I see you're doing well. How old is she?"

"Five, going on twenty. That girl makes me look like a cake walk." Helga laughed, shaking her head at the memory of the numerous shenanigans she found herself in.

"Well, she's beautiful. Just like her mom. How long have you been married now?"

Helga blushed at the compliment, but before she had a chance to respond her daughter chirped from her side.

"My mommy's not married. Who are you? Are you a stranger? Mommy, why are you talking to a stranger? Do you know him?"

Arnold laughed at that, a deep baritone that caused her heart to beat like thunder in her chest.

"No, I'm not a stranger. I knew your mom when we were kids. I was just about to ask her if she would like to catch up with me later, if that's ok with you."

"Well, I dunno. Mommy promised to take me to the park. Do you wanna go? I like the slide the best."

He looked up at Helga, who just smiled and nodded once, accepting his silent inquiry.

"I'd love to go with you. I don't think we officially met." He reached out and shook the younger girl's hand. "My name is Arnold. What's your name?"

"I'm Stella. Nice to meet you."

Arnold looked up at Helga, his emerald eyes meeting hers with such intensity that she was almost alarmed. She remembered that he used to look at her that way all the time,, as if she were the only one within the whole universe. She didn't know what to say, what to think or how to explain herself. Yes, she named her daughter after his mother. Yes, she still loved him after all these years. No, she did not want to talk about it right now. He seemed to sense her hesitation, but grinned at her daughter nonetheless.

"Pleasure is all mine, Stella. I hope that we can be friends, like your mom and I were."

"Sure! You seem nice. Mommy! I didn't find what I want yet. Can I keep looking?" But before Helga could answer, she was running down to the end of the aisle again.

"She's got a lot of energy."

"Yes, she does." Helga could barely hear her own voice, she was so nervous and didn't know what he would say now that they were alone again.

"I know we have a lot of catching up to do. There are many things to say…are you alright with me coming to the park still?"

"My daughter invited you. She's a pretty good judge of character. I think it'll be alright, football head."

He smiled at her, his eyes dazzling her into silence. He turned to walk away then, heading to the opposite end of the aisle to get his shopping cart.

"Whatever you say, Helga. I'll give you a call in an hour to find out which park."

"Wait! You don't have my number." It sounded more like a question than a statement.

She could hear the smirk in his voice when he responded. "I got your number from Phoebe ages ago. See ya soon, Helga."


	2. Chapter 2

First, I want to apologize. Like, seriously. It's been...two years? I'm a mom! One day is actually five…I can't be expected to do things like HAVE FUN and WRITE FOR LEISURE! =^-^=

Okay, this is for the folks who asked for a second chapter. I know, you've already fallen off the face of the earth but on the off chance that you actually are still keeping up with this, here ya go! Oh! And I revised the first chapter. Nothing major, just formatting. On with the show!

Arnold was excited. No, he was ECSTATIC! Because _she _had agreed on a date with him. Okay, okay, so, it wasn't really a date. And technically, her daughter was the one who asked him on this...outing. But it counted as...something...didn't it?

After he rounded the aisle corner, he had ran to the checkout stand to pay for his groceries and high tailed it to his car. Throwing his one bag of food (instant noodles and frozen pizza- he'd learn to cook one day!) into his trunk, he cautiously backed up from his parking spot and made his way home.

He shoved the entire bag of food into the freezer, deciding to sort it out later, and made his way to the bathroom. He shuffled from foot to foot in front of his shower. Would it be weird if he washed up? Decided to change his clothes? What was the protocol here? He hadn't dated in over a decade!

He examined his face in the mirror, noticing for the first time the dark stubble adorning his chin and cheeks. He'd never been especially hairy, but maybe he should clean up. He wanted to make a better impression now that he knew he'd be seeing her. Truthfully, he hadn't expected to see her that day but when his eyes saw her in the grocery store he was overwhelmed with confidence that he definitely wasn't feeling now.

He grabbed his electric razor, taking care around his chin and walked over to his closet debating his wardrobe. He looked down at his current clothes - just a pair of faded jeans and nondescript t-shirt. He opted for a quick shower after lifting up his arm pit and taking a sniff. Five minutes of washing and rewashing, he stood in front of his closet once again and decided to keep things simple.

"Don't look like you're trying too hard," he grumbled to himself. He picked out his only pair of jeans free from paint and other unidentifiable stains and a blue button up that he rolled up to his elbows.

He forced himself to sit down and relax for the remainder of the half hour he had to wait. His thoughts drifted back to the last day he could call her _his. _He'd come home that day to complete chaos. His grandfather was rushing to and fro, the borders watching wide eyed, their brows furrowed in confusion..

"Arnold! There you are! Where the sam heck ya been? I've been waiting ages for you!" His grandfather grabbed him by his shoulders, shaking him a little in his merriment.

"I was at school, grandpa. You know that. What's going on? You're kinda freaking me out here."

"Hmm? Oh, right! You don't know the good news! Arnold, they found them! THEY FOUND THEM! We gotta get down there, because this is gonna cause a whole bunch of problems that I can't even begin to imagine. We'll probably need a lawyer and those cost an arm and a leg, the thieves. Kokashka! Put that DOWN! I swear, if.."

"Grandpa! You aren't making any sense. They found WHO? And go WHERE?"

"Your parents, Arnold! Miles and Stella! I bet el sombrero has a whole bunch of lawyers...oh, Arnold! Don't you get it! We've gotta get down there and be with your parents!"

His grandfather's words weren't processing in any way that made sense. He tried to remain calm, take in everything the elderly man had said. Arnold had been worried about the mental state of his grandfather for a while, and everything that was coming out of his mouth wasn't exactly coherent. He watched Phil run into the kitchen before he turned to the spectators in the living room.

"Okay, someone explain to me what's going on."

Brian, a dark haired man in his fifties who often helped his grandfather with the management of his tenants, stepped forward and put his hand on his shoulder.

"We got a phone call this morning from a diplomat of San Lorenzo. They found your parents, Arnold. I guess they were taken captive and made to work for a criminal by the name of La Sambra. They couldn't go into too many details - it's still an open investigation- but suffice it to say that they're alive and in a hospital with the San Lorenzo authorities. They didn't exactly say if they could be released. I'm guessing they may need to testify to keep him behind bars."

Arnold remembered feeling every feeling in the world except for excitement, happiness. He felt as though he'd been punched in the gut. He had long thought that his parents were dead and had made peace with it. Now they were alive and he was going to get the opportunity to meet them.

"Okay, I understand. They're alive. But, why are there movers here?" His voice was small, barely audible over loud whines from the kitchen.

Brian visibly tensed and moved his hand away from Arnold's shoulder.

"Your grandfather decided to sell the boarding house. He has some savings to get you three down there, but from the sounds of it, you may have to stay for a long time. Court proceedings take months here in the states, I don't even want to think about what they're like in a foreign country. Not to mention the mental and physical health of your parents. You may be gone for years, Arnold."

Arnold licked his lips, his mouth was suddenly dry.

"Okay...but, we have to come back to sell the boarding house, right? I mean, sign the paperwork and everything?" His voice was trembling despite his best efforts to keep it steady.

"No, all that can be done electronically. If there are issues, your grandfather made me his power of attorney a long time ago. He's dead set on this, Arnold. His son is alive. Nothing is keeping him here anymore."

"When...when do we leave?"

"Tomorrow morning. You have to get certain immunizations but you leave right after."

Brian wrapped Arnold in a huge hug then. He wasn't an affectionate man, but Arnold guessed at the time that Brian must have believed that he'd never see him again.

Phil returned from the kitchen, holding a sub sandwich with a huge bite mark at one end.

"That greedy Kokashka ate my sandwich. Arnold! Your stuff is already packed. We leave tomorrow! Plenty of time to say your goodbyes. Pookie! Where's that woman? Pookie!"

Gertie came into the living room wearing a hula skirt and lei, her hips swaying side to side.

"Aloha! Welcome to paradise, Tex! Are you ready for the best day of your life?"

Arnold couldn't bring himself to answer. Gerald, school...Helga. He had to leave everyone behind and he didn't know how long he'd be gone. What his grandfather declared so merrily was that he no longer had a home, there was no longer a reason for them to return to Hillwood.

His legs took him up the stairway and into his bedroom. The shelves were bare, the bed stripped of sheets, no reminder of what used to adorn the walls. He slowly sat on his bed, no, _the _bed...it would no longer be his... the springs creaking underneath his weight, and took a look around what was once his sanctuary. Everything he had ever known was being taken from him and was going to be replaced by a great unknown. A new country, a new language, people he didn't know, maybe he didn't _want _to know. An anger he never knew he possessed had began to simmer in his chest. His emotions began to fight with his mind, each battling for dominance, each trying to make sense of the situation. He had finally got the girl, one who treated him well, who he knew harbored great affection for him and he her and now he had to say goodbye.

But shouldn't he be happy about his parents being alive? The timing was all wrong, but they were _alive! _He could begin to build a relationship with two living people and no longer have to hold on to second hand memories. He'd have his own. But at what cost?

Arnold couldn't bring himself to cry, although he knew that it would be an appropriate response. He was too overwhelmed, too confused to physically react to the situation.

But his feelings couldn't matter. He had to tell Helga and Gerald what was happening. He decided that Helga was the best one to tell first. He gave her a call and asked her to come over because he wasn't sure if he could make if down the stairs. He was on autopilot, a resolve in his mind even if he wasn't completely conscious of what exactly he intended to do.

When she arrived, fear etched all over her face when she walked through his bedroom door, he knew that she suspected what was happening. Arnold didn't remember exactly what he told her. He did, however, remember her face. The frown and surprise that quickly transformed into sorrow. Her eyes prickling with tears the longer the words tumbled out of his mouth. Her only words spoken after he broke her heart.

"All I want is you."

He remembered how she felt in his arms as he said his final goodbyes, the fragrance of her shampoo.

He knew it made sense to break up with her. It was unfair to keep her captive in a relationship he wouldn't be physically present for. He had no idea how long he'd be gone, if he'd even be back at all. What if the court proceedings lasted years like Brian suspected? There were too many years unknowns. In retrospect, he should have been more optimistic. He should have had more faith, but he couldn't see beyond what was to happen the next day.

Helga had disappeared so quickly after that. If it weren't for the pink bow that lay in his hands he wouldn't have been sure that she was there to begin with. He called Gerald next, who took the news much better than Arnold himself had. Gerald was elated, albeit sorry that his friend had to leave, but so excited that Arnold would finally have his parents. Gerald had suspected for years that his best friend was actually jealous of the relationship that he had with his own parents. Both a mother and a father and two siblings. Gerald promised to look after Helga and insisted that he would see him off to the airport the next day, despite it being a school day. "Nah, man! My parents will totally understand. They know you're my main man, how could they possibly say no!"

And just like that, Arnold was gone.

He was on a plane to meet parents he never knew, to live in a country that he knew almost nothing about. He hoped that his parents were alright mentally, but he worried that he would actually have to take care of 4 adults instead of 2. He remembered having to force his mind to focus on the positives, that he actively had to ignore that his heart was breaking because he couldn't focus on what losing Helga really meant.

Not long after his grandparents and he were settled in a village situated a couple of miles from the hospital that his parents were staying in, he met a pretty girl whose English was well enough to carry a conversation with. He thought that perhaps starting a new relationship would be the best way to forget about Helga but learned very quickly that his heart wasn't in it. And so he let her down gently, and opted to stay away from the dating world until he was actually ready.

Only, he never was ready.

His parents were released from the hospital with strict orders to continue counseling, his grandparents' health slowly declined before they passed in their sleep, both with smiles on their faces. Arnold went to school in San Lorenzo, finishing the equivalent to a High School education in the states before attending the local community college.

After three years, La Sambra was finally behind bars for good. His parents were free to return to the States. And that was where the cross roads lay. Arnold was legally an adult, and could choose his own path. After many sleepless nights and countless conversations, he told his parents, in no uncertain terms, that he would go where they would go. At least, until he felt that it was time to be on his own.

But Miles and Stella worried. They asked him about girls, even hinted that they would be okay if it turned out that Arnold preferred boys, but Arnold would just smile at them and not offer an explanation. He focused on his studies, applying to online schools in the States with no concrete plan for his future.

At some point, an opportunity arose for him to return to Hillwood and catch up with Gerald and all his old friends.

And he saw her. Looking just as beautiful as the last day he saw her. And learned that she was in a serious relationship with someone else.

He returned to San Lorenzo shortly after that, the desire to keep pushing forward stronger than ever.

He finished his Bachelor's and completed a Master's. He was thinking of going for his PhD when he was hit with the overwhelming feeling to go _home. _His parents took it well, finally released from the burden of believing that they were the reason their son was unhappy.

He had been in Hillwood all of three weeks when he ran into Helga, his body still unused to the time difference but his tastebuds happy to sample the foods he grew up on.

Arnold shook the past away with a flick of his head, and his eyes darted to the clock on his bedside table. _I'm late! Crapcrapcrapcrap!_

It took him a full five minutes of scrambling around the apartment, looking for his keys and wallet, before he remembered that he didn't even know where he was going. Finding his phone in the freezer with his groceries, he scrolled through the contacts on his phone before locating Helga's number. With trembling fingers, he pressed the send button and waited for the call to connect.

"Hey Helga? Yea, it's Arnold. I just thought it would be a good idea to find out which park I'm supposed to meet you at...okay, remind me which street that's on...oh yea, I remember! I forgot the name of it, I guess I've been away too long...yes, I'm not far from it actually. Maybe a ten minute walk….okay, I'll see you there. Bye Helga."

Arnold shoved the phone in his back pocket and walked up to the mirror hanging in his hallway.

"Do not blow this, Arnold. Don't...blow...it." And with a final slam of the door, Arnold was out the door and jogging to the park.


End file.
